NAB PHARMACY SURVEY 2021 - Consumer attitudes and behaviours: trust, importance, visitation, patient satisfaction and scope of practice.
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NAB PHARMACY SURVEY 2021 Consumer attitudes and behaviours: trust, importance, visitation, patient satisfaction and scope of practice.
Pharmacists are among the most highly trusted and accessible health professionals in the country. 1 in 3 Australians see pharmacy as their most important health provider. Pharmacists are underutilised with consumer support to expand scope of practice. Pharmacists rank in the top 3 most trusted professionals in Australia, ahead of police, schoolteachers, dentists and judges. They are widely acknowledged as highly trained clinicians with 1 in 3 Australians considering them their most important health provider. Pharmacists are also among the most accessible health professionals in the community, with Australians on average visiting a pharmacy 18 times a year. With medication supply and dispensing activities core roles of a pharmacist, it is not surprising that the main reason for visitation (for 7 in 10 consumers) is to have a prescription filled. Other common reasons include buying vitamins or supplements, over the counter medications for pain relief, to purchase cosmetics and toiletries and medications for colds or flu and for allergies. Almost 1 in 10 of Australians have used their pharmacy to receive a vaccination. When choosing a pharmacy, there are two primary drivers - convenience and location and the cost of prescription items or medications. Other factors include friendly and personalised service, expertise and trust. Consumers report “high” levels of satisfaction in terms of quality of care and services provided for both traditional and discount pharmacies, with traditional operators slightly ahead. For value and cost, discounters lead the way, while traditional pharmacies are seen as better value than pure online only operators. Almost 1 in 5 Australians have switched their regular pharmacy because they were unhappy with the service or product offering, with consumer loyalty highest among younger and older patients. Interestingly, patients with more complex needs requiring ongoing treatment or medication for a medical condition, are much more likely to switch. Cost was the key reason for switching for 4 in 10 consumers. Other key reasons include having to wait for prescriptions, being out of a medication or item, not being proactive in offering cheaper generic medication, difficulty in consulting with the pharmacist or needing more individualised service. When filling a prescription, Australians are generally split between using a discount or traditional pharmacy (with discounters slightly ahead), while very few are likely to choose a pure online pharmacy. Older Australians (particularly the over 65s) are much more likely to prefer a traditional pharmacy, while younger consumers are more likely to choose a discounter. For other products and services, discount pharmacies lead the way, with around 6 in 10 consumers choosing a discounter. Affordability is a concern for some Australians with around 1 in 10 choosing not to have a prescription filled because they could not afford it (rising to almost 1 in 5 among lower income earners of less than $35,000 p.a.). It was also more problematic for Australians in the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups. Around 1 in 5 consumers have used an electronic prescription over the past 12 months, rising to 3 in 10 in Victoria. Usage was much less common among Australians over the age of 55 and for lower income groups. That said, for those that have used electronic prescriptions, satisfaction is high. As border restrictions are slowly eased and Australians start to travel again, travel health measures need to be put in place to keep travellers safe on their journey and to keep Australia safe upon their return. Around 1 in 4 Australians would prefer to receive a travel health vaccination, travel 2 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
medicine or advice from a pharmacist, ahead of a GP, pathology centre or other specialist. Pharmacists are also increasingly important channels in the supply and administration of vaccines. Around 1 in 4 Australians would prefer to receive a flu vaccination from a pharmacy and 1 in 5 a COVID vaccine. Community pharmacy can be a ‘health hub’ for health promotion and prevention measures, boosting distribution of self-help information and resources on physical and mental health and wellbeing. Pharmacists already conduct preventive health programs, but there is scope to expand further, potentially helping to reduce preventable hospitalisations. Around 1 in 5 people would preference their pharmacy over other health providers for health programs (smoking, nutrition, asthma management). Pharmacists are also able to provide point of care testing and diagnostic testing within the scope of practice, for many acute and chronic health conditions including blood glucose testing, cholesterol testing, blood pressure testing, pulmonary function testing, anaemia testing and genetic testing. Around 1 in 5 Australians would also preference their pharmacy for health screening tests. The management of common conditions is another core component of pharmacy practice, with 1 in 5 consumers primarily seeking advice and treatment for minor injuries and health conditions from their pharmacist. Under current funding arrangements, pharmacists often rely on a fee-for- service remuneration model for services where the patient bears the cost. Almost 1 in 2 consumers would pay for many of these additional services, particularly for flu vaccinations, travel health, wound management and health screening tests. The current regulatory environment allows for some mechanisms for pharmacists to supply medicine without a prescription in an emergency, or for a limited number of medicines. There is broad support for this practice with almost 7 in 10 Australians believing pharmacists should be authorised to provide emergency dispensing of medicines. A change in legislation would be required to enable pharmacists to continue dispensing a prescribed medicine on an ongoing basis if a patient is without a script. There are interim regulations in place due to COVID to allow Continued Dispensing (i.e. urgent PBS supply in absence of prescription) until 31 December 2021. These arrangements would have to be made permanent to continue to allow pharmacists to provide urgent supply from 1 January 2022. Around 6 in 10 Australians think pharmacists should be able to renew prescriptions for ongoing treatment, 4 in 10 support monitoring patients and where necessary stop prescribing a medication and 1 in 3 to change prescription dosage if it is in the best interests of the patient (without the need for the prescribing doctor to write a new prescription). Examples where this may be necessary include adjustments based on the weight of a child, after hours where the prescriber is unavailable, or for patients with a chronic disease. Another example where medication continuance by pharmacists could be authorised is in regard to the oral contraceptive pill, with 2 in 3 Australians supporting pharmacists being authorised to do so on an ongoing basis. Continued dispensing of oral contraceptives is currently permitted but only a one-off supply within a 12-month period. In recognition of the trust in pharmacists, 6 in 10 Australians agreed that a pharmacist should be able to view patient health records to ensure safe and effective use of medicines. Pharmacists are often called upon to provide assessment and management, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, of common conditions with around 6 in 10 Australians supportive of pharmacists managing common health complaints such as back pain and eczema. A similar share believe pharmacists should be able to diagnose and prescribe for minor ailments and illnesses. 3 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
While fewer consumers believe pharmacists should be authorised to diagnose and prescribe medicines for more complex or serious ailments and illnesses, around 1 in 5 would be happy for pharmacists to do so. Prescribing rights are currently available to doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, midwives, optometrists and podiatrists. Finally, some pharmacists in Australia are able to order laboratory tests (relevant to pharmacist care) on behalf of a patient. Over 1 in 3 Australians are not only in agreement that pharmacists should be able to order laboratory tests on behalf of a patient, but also interpret the results. This report is based on a survey of over 1,000 Australian consumers representative of the adult population. It was conducted between 7-9 July 2021. 4 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS Part 1: Pharmacy in society - trust, importance and frequency of use Are pharmacists considered trustworthy? Yes, very much so, being ranked in the top 3 most trusted professions in Australia according to our survey findings. In fact, almost 4 in 10 surveyed Australians said pharmacists were the most trustworthy profession, behind only doctors and nurses. Pharmacists also ranked highly for trust in all states and by gender and age. How important are they to us from a health perspective? Pharmacists also rank highly among health professionals, with around 1 in 3 Australians considering them to be the most important, behind GPs, dentists and specialist doctors. How often do we visit a pharmacy? On average, around 18 times over the past year, though this ranged from over 20 times in QLD to 16 times in WA and VIC, and from 19 times in capital cities to just 11 times in rural areas. By age, Australians over 65 visited most often (21 times) and those in the 18-24 group least often (11 times). Part 2: How and why we visit a pharmacy, and how does the experience rate What were the main reasons we visited a pharmacy in the last 12 months? The majority went to have a prescription filled (7 in 10 of all Australians). The next most common reasons were to buy vitamins or supplements (30%), over the counter (OTC) medications for pain relief (24%), cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. (17%), OTC medications for colds or flu relief (17%) and for allergies (15%). Almost 1 in 10 used their pharmacy to receive a vaccination. By region significantly more people in rural areas or its surrounds (8 in 10) did so to have a prescription filled, while people in capital cities were twice as likely to have done so to buy cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. (20%). By age, over 9 in 10 people over 65 went to have a prescription filled, but noticeably more in the 35-44 and 25-34 age groups (4 in 10) to buy vitamins and supplements and under 35 to buy cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. (around 3 in 10). What most motivates us to use pharmacies to help manage our health? To get an idea, we asked people to the rate their agreement with 3 statements. It was highest for the statement “Pharmacists are the most accessible health professionals in the community”, with Australians on average rating their agreement 7.0 points out of 10. Australians were only in “moderate” agreement with the statement “I often use a pharmacy because it can be difficult to access timely treatment or advice from other health professionals” (4.5 pts) and “I often use a pharmacy because it can be difficult to access affordable treatment or advice” (4.3 pts). What are the most important factors when choosing a pharmacy? 5 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
There were 2 that stood out. The most important according to 1 in 2 Australians was convenience or location, and second according to 3 in 10 was lower costs prescription items or medications. Other key factors according to around 2 in 10 people were friendly and personalised customer service, expertise and trust of the pharmacist. Factors that resonated with the least people included flexible payment plans, being able to get advice in their own language, home delivery services and health professional services offered. But some key differences were noted in key demographic groups including a much higher number in SA that noted the pharmacists knowledge of their (or their families) medical history, a much higher number of people living in capital cities that valued extended opening hours, people over the age of 65 who said friendly and personalised customer service was important and those in the 25-34 age group who valued a pharmacy that was open 24/7. Did we typically visit a single or multiple pharmacies in the last year? Most (around 7 in 10) used one main pharmacy for their prescription needs (though this climbed to 9 in 10 in the over 65 group) and just over 1 in 4 multiple pharmacies. Almost 6 in 10 also used one main pharmacy for OTC medicines (but almost 8 in 10 in TAS) and just over 1 in 3 multiple pharmacies. But for other kinds of products sold at pharmacies, visits were spread more evenly with 47% using one main pharmacy and 45% multiple pharmacies. Around 1 in 2 also used one main pharmacy for any kind of test, procedure or services, and 3 in 10 multiple pharmacies. But 1 in 2 also said they did not visit a pharmacy for these services. What type of pharmacy did we visit in the last 12 months? For prescription medicines, around 1 in 2 (48%) went to a discount pharmacy, and 4 in 10 (44%) a traditional pharmacy. Only 3% visited an online only pharmacy. For other products and services however, around 6 in 10 (59%) visited a discount pharmacy and only 25% a traditional pharmacy, and 4% an online only pharmacy. By state, consumers in NSW and QLD were split between using traditional and discount pharmacies for prescriptions, but those in SA much more likely to use a traditional pharmacy. Australians over 55 also showed a much stronger preference for traditional pharmacies (particularly the over 65 group), and those under 55 for discount pharmacies (especially the 35-44 group). For other products and services, more people in all states used a discount pharmacy, except in WA. How satisfied were we with the quality of care and service we received at these pharmacies? Australian consumers reported “high” levels of satisfaction with traditional (8.1 pts) and discount (7.8 pts) pharmacies. Online pharmacies rated a little lower at 7.0 pts. People in all states, men and women and all age groups were most satisfied with the quality of care and service received at traditional pharmacies. Australians in SA, women and in the 55-64 age group were somewhat more satisfied with the quality of care and service received from discount pharmacies than their peers. Australians in all states rated their satisfaction with online pharmacy lowest, except TAS. What about the value and cost of prescription medicines and other products? Traditional pharmacies led the way for satisfaction around quality of care and services provided, but Australians expressed higher satisfaction for value and cost for discount pharmacies (7.9 pts), with traditional (7.3 pts) and online only pharmacies (7.0 pts) rated somewhat lower. People over the age of 65 expressed somewhat higher levels of satisfaction over value from discount pharmacies than other age groups, and also saw much greater value from traditional pharmacies than did other age groups. Satisfaction with value from traditional pharmacies was also noticeably higher in SA and TAS than in other states. Value and cost was lowest for online pharmacy in all 6 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
states except VIC and TAS where it was scored on par with traditional pharmacies in both states. Women also reported much higher levels of satisfaction than men. Have we ever switched our regular pharmacy because we were unhappy with the service or product offering in some way and why? Almost 1 in 5 (18%) overall have. But this ranged from 23% in QLD to just 12% in SA. More women (19%) also switched than men (17%). By age, most people switched in the 55-64 group (22%), with loyalty highest in the 18-24 (14%) and over 65 (15%) age groups. People who indicated they required ongoing treatment or medication for a medical condition (25%) were also much more likely to have switched than those who did not require ongoing treatment (12%). Paying too much was the key reason cited for switching according to 4 in 10 Australian consumers who did so. Other key reasons were having to wait for prescriptions (28%), pharmacy was out of a medication or item (26%), not proactive in offering cheaper generic medication (19%), could not easily consult the pharmacist (16%) or needed more individualised service (13%). Around 3% said it was because of errors made in information or scripts. Part 3: Prescriptions Have we chosen not to have a prescription filled because we could not afford it? Around 1 in 10 (11%) people have done so over the past year. This number was noticeably higher in QLD (15%), in the 25-34 (19%) age group and the lowest income group earning less than $35,000 p.a. (18%). Have we used an electronic prescription? Around 1 in 5 (19%) Australians had used one in the past 12 months, with that number climbing to 3 in 10 (29%) in VIC. Women (21%) were somewhat more likely to have had an electronic prescription than men (17%), with usage also much more common for Australians under the age of 55 (led by the 25-34 group at 25%). In older age groups, usage was much lower at just 13% in the over 65 group and 11% in the 55-64 group. Australians earning more than $50,000 p.a. were also noticeably more likely to have used an electronic prescription than lower income groups. Were we satisfied with this type of prescription? Very much so, with those who had used one rating their level of satisfaction at 8.2 pts. Users in all states reported relatively “high” levels of satisfaction, led by SA (8.8 pts). There was little difference of opinion in satisfaction levels between women (8.3 pts) and men (8.1 pts), and no correlation found between satisfaction and age. People in the 55-64 group (who also used electronic prescriptions least) rated their satisfaction the highest at 9.1 pts, followed by the 18-24 group (8.6 pts). Satisfaction was lowest in the over 65 group (7.2 pts). By income, people earning over $100,000 p.a. and between $50-75,000 p.a. reported the highest satisfaction with electronic prescriptions (8.7 pts), and those earning less than $35,000 p.a. (7.3 pts) and $35-50,000 p.a. (7.5 pts) the lowest. Part 4: What Australians would most value from a pharmacy How would we prefer to receive certain health services if we could choose? While most prefer to use GPs, pathology centre or other specialists, a significant number would prefer to receive flu vaccinations (28%), travel health vaccinations, medicine or advice (26%), wound management (25%), other health programs such as smoking, nutrition, asthma 7 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
management (21%), health screening tests (19%), COVID vaccinations (19%) and diagnosis and treatment for minor injuries (19%) from a pharmacist or a nurse at a pharmacy. Are we prepared to pay to use these services at a pharmacy? Most are prepared to pay for a flu vaccination (52%), travel health (48%), wound management (44%) and health screening tests (41%). Moreover, those who were prepared to pay for these services outweighed those that were not. Around 3 in 10 (31%) said they would pay for a COVID vaccination and 26% for mental health services, but they were heavily outweighed by the number of Australians who would not pay for these services from a pharmacy at 57% and 49% respectively. Should Australian pharmacists be authorised to provide some services they’re currently unable to? Around 2 in 3 Australians believe they should be authorised to provide emergency dispensing of medicines and ongoing dispensing of oral contraceptive pills. Around 6 in 10 also think they should be able to renew prescriptions for ongoing treatment, manage chronic conditions such as back pain and eczema, view patient health records to ensure safe and effective use of medicines, prescribe and administer appropriate travel health vaccines and medicines and diagnose and prescribe for minor ailments and illnesses. Far fewer believe they should be authorised to diagnose and prescribe medicines for more complex or serious ailments and illnesses (19%). Would we include pharmacists as health professionals that should have the right to prescribe medicines? Over 9 in 10 (91%) of all Australians agree that doctors should have the right to prescribe medicine, around 3 in 4 (75%) think dentists should and 1 in 2 optometrists. But only 44% of all Australians think pharmacists should - ranking lowest except for podiatrists (36%) and midwives (34%). But there was considerable divergence by state ranging from 57% in TAS who thought pharmacists should to only 39% in WA. By age, divergence was even bigger, ranging from 1 in 2 people in the 45-54, 25-34, and 35-44 age groups to around half that in the over 65 group (28%). What do we agree pharmacies should be doing most? To get an idea, we asked them if they agreed or disagreed with several statements. Overall, they were in highest agreement that “pharmacies should be co-located with other allied health providers” (65%), “pharmacies should be mobilised to administer the COVID vaccines” (62%) and “pharmacies should focus on providing prescription and over the counter medications” (61%). One in 2 (50%) also agreed “pharmacies should become key centres for primary and preventive health care”, and around 4 in 10 that “pharmacies should have allied health professionals in-store” (44%), “pharmacies should be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” (44%), and “pharmacies should become ‘one stop shops’ for healthcare” (43%). Australians were in strongest disagreement over the statements that “non-pharmacy (e.g. supermarkets) should be able to sell prescription medicines” and that “pharmacist should do home visits for screening/monitoring illnesses”. 8 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
PART 1: PHARMACY IN SOCIETY Trust, importance and frequency of use 9 | NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
Pharmacists are amongst the largest and most accessible group of healthcare professionals in
Australia. They are among the most frequently visited healthcare providers and are often
consumers’ first point of contact with the healthcare system.
Pharmacists not only supply medicines and help to ensure the safe and efficacious use of
medicines, but also a range of other services such as advice on medicines and healthcare, health
checks and risk assessments and wound care. Pharmacists work closely with GPs, allied health
professionals and hospitals and typically have a strong presence in the community.
The important role pharmacists play in society is reinforced by the fact almost 1 in 2 (47%)
Australians surveyed in this report said they require on-going treatment or medication for a
medical condition, with that number climbing to almost 8 in 10 (79%) in the over 65 age group.
Most trustworthy professions
Doctors 61%
Nurses 48%
Pharmacists 39%
Police 31%
School Teachers 31%
Dentists 25%
Judges 23%
Engineers 19%
University Lecturers 13%
Ministers of Religion/Priests 11%
Accountants 8%
Public Servants 5%
Journalists 3%
Financial Planners 3%
Bank Managers 3%
TV Reporters 2%
Union Leaders 2%
Federal Politicians 2%
Radio Announcers 2%
State Politicians 1%
Real Estate Agents 1%
Business Executives 1%
Car Salesmen 1%
Insurance Brokers 1%
Advertising 1%
Stockbrokers 0%
None of these 11%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Against this background, it is not surprising that pharmacists are viewed as one of the most trusted
professions in Australia.
10| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021When asked to select the top 5 professions they considered the most trustworthy from an
extensive list, pharmacists ranked in the top 3 of all responses according to our survey results.
Indeed, almost 4 in 10 (39%) of all responses had pharmacists in their top 5 most trustworthy
professions, behind only doctors (61%) and nurses (48%). In terms of trustworthiness, pharmacists
also rated higher than police (31%), school teachers (31%), dentists (25%) and judges (23%).
Pharmacists ranked very high for trustworthiness in most states - ranging from 62% in TAS to 36%
in NSW and 37% in VIC.
Trustworthiness in pharmacists was rated highly by both women and men - almost 4 in 10 placed
them in their top 5.
By age, however this ranged from 52% in the over 65 age group to just 28% in the 35-44 age
group.
Top 10 most trustworthy professions: state, gender and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
WA
TAS
65+
VIC
All
SA
Doctors 61% 58% 59% 64% 69% 63% 76% 63% 60% 64% 51% 52% 61% 61% 77%
Nurses 48% 50% 39% 48% 56% 54% 62% 47% 49% 42% 44% 40% 48% 50% 62%
Pharmacists 39% 36% 37% 41% 44% 43% 62% 40% 38% 30% 31% 28% 42% 49% 52%
Police 31% 27% 34% 36% 36% 25% 38% 29% 34% 25% 25% 31% 30% 38% 38%
School Teachers 31% 34% 29% 28% 31% 30% 38% 29% 33% 35% 30% 34% 34% 22% 28%
Dentists 25% 23% 23% 29% 32% 25% 29% 27% 23% 27% 16% 18% 29% 31% 30%
Judges 23% 25% 24% 22% 20% 23% 24% 26% 21% 17% 26% 22% 16% 20% 37%
Engineers 19% 18% 19% 25% 16% 20% 14% 26% 13% 24% 21% 19% 14% 22% 20%
University Lecturers 13% 13% 14% 12% 14% 9% 14% 12% 14% 19% 19% 12% 13% 11% 7%
Religious
11% 11% 10% 11% 13% 11% 5% 15% 7% 9% 5% 7% 11% 16% 17%
Ministers/Priests
Health professionals most important to you from a health
perspective
General practitioner 78%
Dentist 40%
Specialist doctor 34%
Pharmacist 32%
Optometrist 20%
Nurse 16%
Psychologist/psychiatrist 12%
Physiotherapist 9%
Chiropractor/Osteopath 6%
Dietician 2%
Other health provider 2%
None of these 3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
11| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Pharmacists not only ranked among the most trustworthy of all professions, they were also highly
ranked in terms of their importance to Australians and their families from a health perspective.
When asked to select their top 3 responses across a range of health professionals, pharmacists
rated the fourth most important overall. Around 1 in 3 (32%) said they were their most important
health professional, behind GPs (78%), dentists (40%) and specialist doctors (34%). Pharmacists
were valued highly by more Australians than optometrists (20%), nurses, psychologists and
psychiatrists (12%) and physiotherapists (9%) and other health professionals.
The importance of pharmacists ranged from 43% in TAS to 29% in QLD. It was rated broadly the
same by men (33%) and women (31%). By age, however, it ranged from 40% in the over 65 group
to 28% in the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups.
Top 5 most important healthcare professionals: state, gender and
age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
TAS
65+
WA
VIC
All
SA
GP 78% 77% 77% 76% 85% 78% 86% 81% 75% 67% 70% 74% 79% 84% 90%
Dentist 40% 43% 40% 39% 31% 41% 38% 39% 41% 44% 36% 37% 47% 39% 37%
Specialist doctor 34% 32% 38% 33% 38% 32% 29% 38% 29% 29% 34% 26% 31% 40% 43%
Pharmacist 32% 31% 32% 29% 41% 37% 43% 33% 31% 29% 28% 28% 32% 36% 40%
Optometrist 20% 19% 19% 27% 16% 17% 43% 17% 23% 19% 17% 18% 19% 25% 26%
Average number of times visited a pharmacy in last 12 months
25.0
20.0
21.1
20.4
20.2
20.0
19.8
19.1
18.9
18.8
18.7
18.6
18.4
15.0
18.0
18.0
17.9
17.8
17.2
17.1
16.9
16.8
15.8
15.7
15.3
10.0
11.5
11.0
5.0
0.0
TAS
WA
SA
Capital city
Men
35-44
45-54
55-64
25-34
18-24group (11.5 times). Income did not seem to unduly influence the result, ranging from 20.0 times in
the $35-50,000 p.a. income group to 17.8 times in the $100,000+ p.a. group.
More specifically, the first chart below shows that around 4 in 10 (39%) Australians visited a
pharmacy about once a month over the past year, nearly 2 in 10 (18%) once a fortnight and almost
1 in 10 (8%) once a week. At the other end of the scale, around 2 in 10 (18%) visited a pharmacy
once every 3 months and around 1 in 10 (9%) every 6 months. Only 3% visited once a year.
The chart on distribution of pharmacy visits by age clearly shows that visitation frequency is more
heavily skewed to more regular visits in older age groups (led by the over 65s) when compared to
Australians under the age of 35 (particularly the 18-24 group). In other words, almost twice as
many Australians over the age of 65 (87%) visited a pharmacy once a month or more often over
the last 12 months, compared to just 46% in the 18-24 age group.
Frequency of visiting pharmacy over past 12 months
45%
40%
39%
35%
Average visits: 17.9
30%
25%
20%
15% 18% 18%
10%
9%
5% 8%
3% 3% 2%
0%
A few About About About About About About Don’t
times a once a once a once a once every once every once a know
week week fortnight month 3 months 6 months year
13| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Frequency of visiting pharmacy over past 12 months: age
50%
Average Visits
18-24: 11.5
40% 25-34: 15.3
35-44: 20.2
30% 45-54: 18.9
55-64: 16.9
Over 65: 21.1
20%
10%
0%
A few About About About About About About Don’t
times a once a once a once a once every once every once a know
week week fortnight month 3 months 6 months year
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
14| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021N REASONS FOR VISITING PHARMACY PART 2: PHARMACY VISITS How & why we visit a pharmacy, and how does the experience rate? 15| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
To get a prescription filled
To buy vitamins/supplements
To buy over the counter medications for pain
relief
To buy cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen, etc.
To buy over the counter medications for
colds or flu relief
To buy over the counter medications for
allergies
To receive a vaccination
To ask the pharmacist for specific health
advice/information
To helping to manage medication
To ask the pharmacist for general health
advice/information
To help weight loss management
Document witnessing or an absence from
work certificate, etc.
To get first aid advice/information
To buy/lease a mobility aid or a
monitoring/health device
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Australians who visited a pharmacy over the past 12 months were asked to select up to 3 main
reasons why they did so.
Overwhelmingly, the main reason was to have a prescription filled according to around 7 in 10
(69%) of all Australians.
The next most common reasons were to buy vitamins or supplements (30%), over the counter
(OTC) medications for pain relief (24%), cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. (17%), OTC
medications for colds or flu relief (17%) and OTC medications for allergies (15%).
With a growing range of professional services also available through community pharmacies,
almost 1 in 10 (8%) used their pharmacy to receive a vaccination. Around 1 in 20 said they visited
for specific (6%) or general (5%) health advice or information and for help to manage medication
(5%).
There were no major differences in why people visited pharmacies by state. By region however it
was evident many more people living in a rural area or its surrounds (81%) did so to have a
prescription filled, while people in capital cities were twice as likely (20%) to have done so to buy
16| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. Noticeably more women than men visited a pharmacy to buy
vitamins and supplements (35% women; 25% men) and cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. (23%
women; 11% men). By age, over 9 in 10 (94%) people over 65 did so to have a prescription filled,
and noticeably more in the 35-44 and 25-34 age groups (4 in 10) to buy vitamins and supplements
and the under 35s to buy cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen etc. (around 3 in 10).
Extent of agreement with statements
Pharmacists are the most accessible health
7.0
professionals in the community
I often use a pharmacy because it can be
difficult to access timely treatment/advice 4.5
from other health professionals
I often use a pharmacy because it can be
difficult to access affordable 4.3
treatment/advice
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
(0 = not at all; 10 = completely)
To try and understand why Australians might be motivated to use pharmacies to help manage their
health, we asked them to rate the extent they agreed with 3 key statements. Agreement was
highest for the statement “Pharmacists are the most accessible health professionals in the
community”, with Australians on average rating their agreement 7.0 points out of 10 (10 is agree
completely). Agreement was highest in all states (ranging from 8.3 pts in TAS to 6.8 pts in QLD), by
gender (led by women at 7.1 pts), and age (led by the 35-44 group at 7.3 pts).
Australians were in “moderate” agreement about the statement “I often use a pharmacy because it
can be difficult to access timely treatment or advice from other health professionals” scoring 4.5
pts. Agreement on this issue was highest in SA (5.0 pts) and lowest in the QLD (4.1 pts). It was also
noticeably higher for women (4.8 pts) than men (4.1 pts), and in the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups
(5.4 pts) than in the over 65 group (3.2 pts).
Australians were also only in “moderate” agreement about the statement “I often use a pharmacy
because it can be difficult to access affordable treatment or advice”, scoring 4.3 pts. SA again led
the way (4.7 pts) with QLD again trailing (4.1 pts). Women (4.6 pts) were also noticeably more
positive than men (4.0 pts), as were people in the 25-34 age group (5.4 pts), particularly when
compared to the over 65 group (3.0 pts).
17| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Extent of agreement with statements: state, gender and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
WA
TAS
65+
VIC
All
SA
Statement 1: 7.0 7.0 6.9 6.8 7.1 7.3 8.3 6.9 7.1 6.7 7.0 7.3 7.0 6.8 7.1
Statement 2 4.5 4.7 4.4 4.1 5.0 4.7 4.7 4.1 4.8 4.8 5.4 5.4 4.6 3.5 3.2
Statement 3 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.1 4.7 4.6 4.6 4.0 4.6 4.6 5.4 5.1 4.5 3.4 3.0
Statement 1: Pharmacists are the most accessible health professionals in the community
Statement 2: I often use a pharmacy because it can be difficult to access timely treatment/advice from other health professionals
Statement 3: I often use a pharmacy because it can be difficult to access affordable treatment/advice
Most important factors when choosing a pharmacy
Convenience/location 51%
Lower cost prescription items/medications 30%
Friendly & personalised customer service 19%
Expertise of the pharmacist 18%
Trust in the pharmacist 17%
Extended opening hours 14%
Range of prescription items/medications 14%
Wait-time to get prescription filled 13%
Lower cost non-prescription items 12%
Quality of information provided 12%
Relationship with the pharmacist 9%
Pharmacy open 24/7 8%
Range of non-prescription items 7%
Knowledge of my/family medical history 6%
Pharmacist is proactive in giving health… 6%
Opportunities to access generic drugs 6%
Script renewal reminders 5%
Health professional services offered 4%
Home delivery options 3%
Being able to get advice in my own… 2%
Flexible payment plans 2%
0% 20% 40% 60%
18| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021When asked to select the top 3 most important factors why they chose a pharmacy, 2 reasons
stood out. The most important according to 1 in 2 (51%) Australians was convenience or location.
Second was lower cost of prescription items or medications according to 3 in 10 (30%).
Other key factors that influenced their decision included friendly and personalised customer
service (19%), expertise of the pharmacists (18%), trust in the pharmacist (17%), extended opening
hours (14%), range of prescription items and medications (14%), wait times to have prescriptions
filled (13%), lower cost non-prescription items such as cosmetics, vitamins, sunscreen etc. (12%)
and the quality of information provided by the pharmacist (12%).
Factors that resonated with the least number of people included flexible payment plans (2%),
being able to get advice in their own language (2%), home delivery options (3%) and health
professional services offered (4%).
Among some of the more interesting observations by state was the much higher number of people
in SA that noted knowledge of their own (or their families) medical history (14%), people living in
capital cities that valued extended opening hours (18%), people over the age of 65 who said
friendly and personalised customer service was important (32%) and Australians in the 25-34 age
group who valued a pharmacy that was open 24/7 (14%).
Single or multiple pharmacy visits
Prescriptions 69% 27% 4%
Over the Counter (OTC) medicines 59% 35% 6%
Any kind of test, procedure or service 50% 29% 21%
Other kinds of products sold at
47% 45% 8%
pharmacies
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
One main pharmacy Multiple pharmacies Would not visit a pharmacy
We also asked Australian consumers whether they would typically visit one main pharmacy or
multiple pharmacies for their prescriptions, OTC medicines, other products sold at pharmacies or
any kind of test, procedure or service.
19| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Most Australians (almost 7 in 10) said they would typically use just the one main pharmacy for their
prescription needs, with just over 1 in 4 (27%) using multiple pharmacies. Almost 6 in 10 (59%)
used one pharmacy for OTC medicines and around 1 in 3 (35%) multiple pharmacies.
When it came to other kinds of products sold at pharmacies, preferences were spread more evenly
with 47% using one main pharmacy and 45% multiple pharmacies. Around 1 in 2 (50%) used one
main pharmacy for any kind of test, procedure or service, and 29% multiple pharmacies. But 21%
also said they did not visit a pharmacy for these services.
Single or multiple visits: state, gender and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
TAS
65+
WA
VIC
All
SA
Prescription
One main pharmacy 69% 68% 65% 71% 78% 72% 80% 70% 68% 64% 50% 56% 75% 75% 91%
Multiple pharmacies 27% 28% 29% 27% 20% 24% 20% 25% 28% 29% 40% 38% 23% 25% 9%
Would not visit a
4% 5% 6% 2% 2% 4% 0% 4% 4% 7% 11% 6% 2% 0% 0%
pharmacy
Over the counter (OCT)
One main pharmacy 59% 58% 53% 61% 72% 57% 76% 60% 57% 54% 44% 51% 61% 54% 82%
Multiple pharmacies 35% 34% 40% 34% 25% 37% 24% 32% 38% 41% 47% 40% 36% 38% 15%
Would not visit a
6% 8% 6% 5% 3% 6% 0% 8% 5% 5% 9% 9% 4% 7% 3%
pharmacy
Other products sold
One main pharmacy 47% 45% 47% 49% 53% 40% 67% 50% 45% 44% 33% 41% 52% 50% 62%
Multiple pharmacies 45% 47% 46% 41% 38% 52% 24% 41% 48% 48% 58% 50% 45% 42% 28%
Would not visit a
8% 8% 7% 10% 9% 8% 10% 9% 7% 8% 9% 10% 3% 9% 10%
pharmacy
Tests, procedure, service
One main pharmacy 50% 50% 46% 49% 59% 51% 73% 51% 48% 46% 39% 47% 56% 48% 60%
Multiple pharmacies 29% 32% 31% 26% 21% 28% 13% 27% 31% 32% 38% 38% 28% 25% 8%
Would not visit a
21% 19% 23% 25% 21% 21% 13% 22% 21% 21% 22% 15% 16% 27% 32%
pharmacy
More Australians in all states used one main pharmacy for their prescriptions, with this number
highest in TAS (80%) and SA (78%). More men and women also used one main pharmacy for their
prescriptions as did all age groups, led by the over 65 group (91%). More Australians in most states
also used one main pharmacy for OTC medications, with this number highest in TAS (76%) and SA
(72%). Australians in the 25-34 age group were the only group where more used multiple
pharmacies (47%) for OTC medications.
Results were scattered more evenly for other kinds of products sold by pharmacists in eastern
seaboard states, but diverged in other states, and by gender where more women used multiple
pharmacies (48%) and more men one main pharmacy (50%). When it came to any kind of test,
procedure or service, most people used one main pharmacy, except the 25-34 age group where
usage was split evenly between one and multiple pharmacies.
20| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Type of pharmacy typically visited for prescription medicines and
for other products and services
Prescription 44% 48% 3%6%
Other Products & Services 25% 59% 4% 11%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Traditional Pharmacy Discount Pharmacy (e.g. Chemist Warehouse)
Online Only Pharmacy (e.g. Pharmacy Online) Don’t know/depends
More specifically, we also asked Australians what type of pharmacy they had typically visited over
the past 12 months for their prescription medicines and other products and services.
When it came to prescription medicines, almost 1 in 2 (48%) visited a discount pharmacy, and just
over 1 in 4 (44%) a traditional pharmacy. Only 3% said they visited an online only pharmacy.
There was a much bigger difference in the number of people who visited a discount pharmacy for
other products and services (59%) compared to a traditional pharmacy (25%).
Consumers were however also much less likely to have visited an online only pharmacy (4%) to buy
other products and services. But 1 in 10 consumers of other products and services also said they
did not know or that where they went depended on their situation.
21| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Type of pharmacy visited for prescriptions and other products:
state, gender and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
TAS
65+
WA
VIC
All
SA
Prescription
Traditional Pharmacy 44% 45% 35% 46% 66% 41% 52% 46% 41% 36% 30% 28% 43% 52% 72%
Discount Pharmacy 48% 45% 60% 47% 27% 46% 48% 44% 52% 51% 57% 61% 50% 42% 26%
Online Only Pharmacy 3% 4% 2% 2% 1% 3% 0% 3% 2% 1% 8% 4% 1% 1% 1%
Don’t know/depends 6% 6% 4% 5% 6% 9% 0% 6% 5% 12% 6% 7% 5% 5% 2%
Other products and
services
Traditional Pharmacy 25% 26% 18% 24% 47% 22% 38% 28% 23% 20% 17% 18% 24% 29% 43%
Discount Pharmacy 59% 57% 68% 64% 41% 54% 52% 55% 64% 58% 68% 64% 67% 54% 45%
Online Only Pharmacy 4% 5% 5% 2% 2% 6% 0% 5% 4% 4% 8% 8% 0% 3% 1%
Don’t know/depends 11% 12% 9% 9% 9% 18% 10% 12% 10% 18% 8% 10% 9% 14% 12%
By state, consumers in NSW and QLD were basically split between using traditional and discount
pharmacies for their prescriptions over the last 12 months. People living in SA however were much
more likely to have used a traditional pharmacy, and those TAS somewhat more likely to have
done so. In contrast, significantly more consumers in VIC used a discount pharmacy for their
prescription medicines, and those in WA somewhat more.
Results did not differ significantly by age, but Australians over 55 showed a much stronger
preference for traditional pharmacies (particularly in the over 65 group), and those under 55 for
discount pharmacies (especially the 35-44 group). Around twice as many Australian in the 25-34
groups also used online only pharmacy (8%) than the next biggest users (NSW and the 35-44 age
group).
When it came to other products and services, more Australians in all states used a discount
pharmacy, except in WA. While more men and women also used discount pharmacies, noticeably
more women (64%) did so than men (55%).
Significantly more Australians in all age groups also used discount pharmacies for these types of
purchases, except in the over 65 group where they were almost evenly split.
Usage for online only pharmacy for other products and services was highest for Australians
between the ages of 25-44 (8%) and in WA (6%).
22| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Satisfaction with quality of care or service received
Traditional
8.1
Pharmacy
Discount Pharmacy 7.8
Online Pharmacy 7.0
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
(0 = extremely dissatisfied; 10 = extremely satisfied)
Australians were asked to rate their satisfaction of the quality of care or service they received from
traditional, discount and online only pharmacies over the last 12 months.
Consumers registered “high” levels of satisfaction for traditional (8.1 pts) and discount (7.8 pts)
pharmacies. Online pharmacies were rated a little lower, but still scored a relatively strong 7.0 pts.
Traditional pharmacies scored highest in all states, by gender and age. By state, satisfaction ranged
from 8.8 pts in TAS to 8.0 pts in NSW and VIC, and from 8.9 pts in the 65+ age group to 7.7 pts in
the 25-34 group.
Australians in SA (8.2 pts), women (7.9 pts) and in the 55-64 age group 8.0 pts) were somewhat
more satisfied with the quality of care and service received from discount pharmacies than their
peers.
Australians in all states rated their satisfaction with online pharmacy lowest, except in TAS (8.6 pts).
Women (7.4 pts) were more satisfied with their experience than men (6.7 pts). There was greater
consensus by age, though the 25-34 and 55-64 age groups expressed somewhat lower levels of
satisfaction than did other age groups.
23| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Satisfaction with quality of care or service received: state, gender
and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
WA
TAS
65+
VIC
All
SA
Traditional Pharmacy 8.1 8.0 8.0 8.2 8.6 8.4 8.8 8.1 8.1 7.9 7.7 7.8 8.0 8.4 8.9
Discount Pharmacy 7.8 7.7 7.9 7.9 8.2 7.6 7.8 7.7 7.9 7.8 7.6 7.7 7.7 8.0 7.9
Online Only Pharmacy 7.0 6.9 7.1 6.9 7.2 7.3 8.6 6.7 7.4 7.0 6.7 7.2 7.0 6.8 7.1
Satisfaction with value/cost of prescription medicines and other
products/services
Discount Pharmacy 7.9
Traditional
7.3
Pharmacy
Online Pharmacy 7.0
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
(0 = extremely dissatisfied; 10 = extremely satisfied)
Australians were also asked how satisfied they were with the value and cost of their prescription
medicines and other products and services they received from traditional pharmacies, discount
pharmacies and online pharmacies over the last 12 months.
While traditional pharmacies led the way for quality of care and services provided, Australians
expressed the highest satisfaction with value and cost for discount pharmacies, scoring on average
7.9 pts.
Consumers registered somewhat lower levels of satisfaction for traditional (7.3 pts) and online only
pharmacies (7.0 pts) - though both scored “quite” well for value.
Older Australians over the age of 65 expressed somewhat higher levels of satisfaction around value
from discount pharmacies than other age groups (8.2 pts). They also saw much greater value from
24| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021traditional pharmacies (8.2 pts). Satisfaction with value from traditional pharmacies was highest in
SA (8.2 pts) just ahead of TAS (8.1 pts).
Prescriptions and Service Offering
Satisfaction with the value and cost of prescription medicines and other products and services was
lowest for online pharmacy in all states in all states except VIC (7.1 pts) and TAS (8.0 pts) where it
was scored on par with traditional pharmacies in both states. By gender, women reported much
higher levels of satisfaction (7.5 pts) than men (6.6 pts). By age, it was highest in the over 65 group
(7.3 pts) and lowest in the 55-64 group (6.8 pts).
Satisfaction with value/cost of prescription medicines and other
products or services: state, gender and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
TAS
65+
WA
VIC
All
SA
Traditional Pharmacy 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.2 8.2 7.2 8.0 7.2 7.3 7.0 6.8 6.9 7.1 7.2 8.2
Discount Pharmacy 7.9 7.8 7.8 8.0 8.2 8.0 8.1 7.8 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.7 7.9 8.2
Online Only Pharmacy 7.0 6.8 7.1 6.8 7.7 7.3 8.0 6.6 7.5 7.1 6.9 7.2 6.9 6.8 7.3
Switched regular pharmacy because of dissatisfaction with service
or product offering
25%
23%
20%
22%
20%
20%
19%
19%
18%
18%
18%
17%
15%
16%
15%
14%
14%
12%
10%
5%
0%
WA
TAS
Men
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
18-24
VIC
SA
QLD
All
NSW
Women
65+
Despite rating their satisfaction with quality of care and service received and value and cost of
prescription medicines and other products quite positively, around 1 in 5 (18%) Australians have
switched their regular pharmacy because they were dissatisfied with the service or product offered
in some way.
25| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021By state, there were large divergences in the number of people who switched. The number was
highest in QLD (23%), and significantly lower in SA (12%). By gender, slightly more women (19%)
switched than men (17%). By age, most people switched in the 55-64 (22%), 45-54 (20%) and 35-44
(20%) age groups. Loyalty was highest in the 18-24 (14%) and over 65 (15%) age groups.
The NAB survey also found that people who indicated they required ongoing treatment or
medication for a medical condition (25%) were much more likely to have switched than those who
did not require ongoing treatment (12%).
Main reasons for switching your regular pharmacy
Paying too much 39%
Having to wait for prescriptions 28%
Pharmacy often out of a medication/item 26%
Pharmacy not pro-active in offering cheaper
19%
generic medications
Couldn’t easily consult the pharmacist 16%
Need more individualised service 13%
Having to make too many trips for
10%
medication
Pharmacy doesn’t keep tabs on my/my
10%
families health
Pharmacy doesn’t offer primary and
8%
preventive care
Pharmacy doesn’t use up-to-date technology 7%
Other 7%
Poor customer service/rude/unfriendly 7%
Need more help re stress, anxiety, and
5%
mental health issues
Errors made in information/script 3%
Pharmacy closed down 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Paying too much was the key reason cited for switching their regular pharmacy according to 4 in
10 (39%) of Australian consumers who did so.
Other key reasons included having to wait for prescriptions (28%), because the pharmacy was out
of a medication or item (26%), not proactive in offering cheaper generic medication (19%), could
not easily consult the pharmacist (16%) or needed more individualised service (13%).
26| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Around 1 in 10 cited having to make too many trips for medication (10%) or because the pharmacy did not keep tabs on their own or their family’s health (10%). Around 8% said it was because their pharmacy did not offer primary or preventive care and 7% because they don’t use up to date technology and poor customer service, while 5% needed more help for stress, anxiety and mental health issues. Around 3% said it was because of errors made in information or scripts. Around 7% of Australians also cited “other” more specific reasons for why they switched from their regular pharmacy. These reasons included things such as “having to discuss personal details in public, no confidentiality”, “lack of close proximity parking”, “narrow aisles and difficulty moving around”, “opening hours”, “pharmacy breaking the rules such as wearing masks etc.”, “pharmacy changed loyalty card”, and “I didn't feel I had the personal rapport with new staff and owners”. 27| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
PART 3: PRESCRIPTIONS 28| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
Number of people who needed a prescription filled by a
pharmacist in the last 12 months but did not do so because they
could not afford it
20%
18%
19%
18%
16%
16%
14%
15%
12%
13%
12%
12%
12%
12%
10%
11%
11%
11%
10%
10%
8%
9%
9%
8%
8%
6%
4%
5%
2%
3%
0%
WA
TAS
Men
VIC
SA
25-34
35-44
45-54
18-24
55-64Number of people who have used an electronic prescription
30%
29%
25%
25%
24%
23%
20%
22%
21%
21%
20%
20%
19%
19%
17%
15%
16%
15%
15%
14%
13%
10%
11%
9%
5%
0%
0%
WA
TAS
Men
25-34
45-54
18-24
35-44
55-64
$75-100KLevel of satisfaction with electronic prescription
10.0
9.0
9.1
8.8
8.7
8.7
8.6
8.0
8.3
8.3
8.3
8.3
8.2
8.2
8.2
8.1
8.1
8.0
7.8
7.5
7.0
7.3
7.2
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
WA
SA
Men
55-64
18-24
25-34
45-54
35-44
$75-100KPART 4: VALUE What Australians would most value from a pharmacy 32| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021
Where would you prefer to receive these services
A flu vaccination 28% 45% 27%
Travel health -
26% 52% 22%
vaccinations/medicines/advice
Wound management 25% 54% 21%
Other health programs - smoking, sleep
apnoea, asthma management, nutrition, 21% 53% 26%
etc.
Health screening tests - blood pressure,
bone density, cholesterol, blood glucose, 19% 64% 17%
hearing, etc.
A COVID-19 vaccination 19% 54% 27%
Diagnosis/treatment of minor
19% 66% 16%
injuries/illnesses
Optical (vision) services 12% 72% 16%
Mental health services 9% 76% 15%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
From a pharmacist/nurse at a pharmacy
From a GP/nurse at a GP’s office, pathology centre, other specialist etc
Don’t care
In order to better understand what Australians would value from a pharmacy, we asked if they
would prefer to receive selected services from a pharmacist or GP, pathology centre or other
specialist. Though most still preferred GPs, pathology centre or other specialists, many indicated a
preference for pharmacies.
Services where most said they would prefer a pharmacist or nurse at a pharmacy were flu
vaccinations (28%), travel health vaccinations, medicine or advice (26%), wound management
(25%), other health programs such as smoking, nutrition, asthma management (21%), health
screening tests (19%), COVID vaccinations (19%) and diagnosis and treatment for minor injuries
(19%).
In addition, a large number also said they did not care where they received a flu or COVID
vaccination (27%), other health programs (26%), travel health (22%) or wound management (21%)
services from.
33| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Preference for receiving these services from a pharmacist: state,
gender and age
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
NSW
Men
QLD
TAS
65+
WA
VIC
All
SA
Flu vaccination 28% 26% 23% 30% 40% 38% 33% 27% 30% 33% 39% 33% 31% 27% 10%
Travel health 26% 25% 22% 28% 35% 28% 29% 23% 28% 30% 32% 27% 32% 22% 13%
Wound management 25% 25% 24% 24% 31% 23% 29% 21% 28% 25% 34% 27% 28% 16% 16%
Other health programs 21% 21% 19% 23% 31% 14% 29% 18% 25% 22% 30% 27% 23% 15% 11%
Health screening tests 19% 20% 16% 23% 20% 15% 24% 17% 21% 22% 30% 22% 22% 15% 6%
COVID-19 vaccination 19% 19% 14% 18% 21% 25% 29% 18% 19% 25% 28% 23% 18% 15% 6%
Minor injuries/illnesses 19% 20% 16% 16% 25% 16% 33% 17% 20% 21% 25% 21% 19% 11% 13%
Optical (vision) services 12% 14% 12% 9% 15% 8% 5% 13% 11% 13% 26% 15% 13% 3% 3%
Mental health services 9% 11% 9% 9% 11% 6% 0% 9% 9% 10% 21% 15% 6% 2% 2%
The table above focusses on the number of people who prefer to receive these services by a
pharmacist or a nurse at a pharmacy. By state, consumers in SA had the biggest appetite for
receiving flu vaccinations (40%), travel health (35%), wound management (31%) and other health
programs from a pharmacist or nurse at a pharmacy. TAS was noticeably higher for COVID
vaccinations (29%) and treatment of minor injuries or illnesses (33%), with SA (15%) and NSDW
(14%) leading the way for optical services.
By gender, the key differences were for travel health (28% women; 23% men), wound
management (28% women; 21% men) and other health programs (25% women; 18% men).
By age, more people in the 25-34 preferred to receive all services from a pharmacist or a nurse at a
pharmacy than all other groups (except travel health where they were on par with the 45-54 age
group). Notably fewer Australians over the age of 65 preferred a pharmacist or nurse at a
pharmacy for nearly all these services, except minor injuries and illnesses where the 55-64 group
signalled the lowest preference.
34| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Would you be prepared to pay for these services from a pharmacy
or from a nurse at a pharmacy?
A flu vaccination 52% 36% 12%
Travel health -
48% 36% 16%
vaccinations/medicines/advice
Wound management 44% 38% 17%
Health screening tests - blood pressure, bone
density, cholesterol, blood glucose, hearing, 41% 43% 16%
etc
Diagnosis/treatment of minor
40% 41% 19%
injuries/illnesses
Other health programs - smoking, sleep
40% 42% 19%
apnoea, asthma management, nutrition, etc
Optical (vision) services 38% 41% 21%
A COVID-19 vaccination 31% 57% 12%
Mental health services 26% 49% 25%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Yes No Don't Know
Australians who preferred to use a pharmacist or a nurse at a pharmacy for these services were
also asked if they would be prepared to pay to use them.
Most were prepared to pay for a flu vaccination (52%), travel health (48%), wound management
(44%) and health screening tests (41%). Moreover, those who were prepared to pay for these
services outweighed those that were not.
Around 40% said they would pay for diagnosis or treatment of minor injuries or illnesses, other
health programs (40%) and optical services (38%), with these numbers broadly the same as those
who said they did not want to pay for them.
Around 3 in 10 (31%) said they would pay for a COVID vaccination and 26% for mental health
services, but they were heavily outweighed by the number of Australians who would not pay for
them at 57% and 49% respectively.
35| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021Prepared to pay to receive these services from a pharmacist:
state, gender and age
NS Wo 18- 25- 35- 45- 55-
All VIC QLD SA WA TAS Men 65+
W men 24 34 44 54 64
A flu vaccination 52% 54% 47% 52% 52% 47% 71% 49% 54% 58% 58% 45% 49% 66% 35%
Travel health 48% 46% 42% 54% 50% 46% 55% 44% 51% 51% 45% 43% 40% 68% 50%
Wound management 44% 46% 44% 44% 45% 44% 36% 43% 46% 31% 55% 39% 50% 45% 47%
Health screening tests 41% 38% 36% 49% 58% 36% 44% 41% 42% 33% 50% 39% 40% 47% 39%
Minor injuries/illnesses 40% 38% 36% 43% 45% 54% 50% 40% 40% 37% 47% 33% 36% 47% 55%
Other health programs 40% 38% 33% 44% 44% 50% 29% 33% 45% 38% 47% 44% 37% 36% 30%
Optical (vision) services 38% 37% 38% 38% 52% 45% 0% 36% 39% 40% 49% 31% 39% 35% 24%
A COVID-19 vaccination 31% 30% 29% 28% 29% 31% 46% 28% 33% 37% 43% 27% 28% 35% 10%
Mental health services 26% 21% 26% 25% 47% 40% 0% 21% 30% 34% 39% 19% 28% 15% 14%
The table above focusses on people who said they were prepared to pay to receive these services
by a pharmacist or a nurse at a pharmacy. By state, we noted significantly more people in TAS
prepared to pay for flu and COVID vaccinations and with QLD travel health. More in WA said they
would pay for minor injuries and illnesses, other health programs and optical services, and in SA
health screening tests and mental health services.
By gender, more women would pay for travel health, other health programs, COVID vaccinations
and mental health. Key differences by age related to flu vaccinations and travel health in the 55-64
group, minor injuries or illnesses in the over 65 group and health screening tests and optimal
services in the 25-34 group.
36| NAB Pharmacy Report 2021You can also read
